Computing device



F. W. SMITH COMPUTING DEVICE Filed Nov.

April 15, 1952 Patented pr. l5, i952 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE COMPUTING DEVICEv Frank W. smith, Adair village, oreg. Application November 27, 1950, Serial No. 197,679 v- 4 Claims. (C1. 23S-89) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in indicating and computing devices and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for computing steel square lsettings as applied to carpentry and the design of rafters in frame house construction.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a computing device for indicating the length of rafter required for a given pitch and for also indicating the cut required for framing two structural members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a computing device of the aforementioned character that is extremely small and compact in structure to permit the same to be conveniently carried in a users pocket.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a. computing device that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, inexpensive to produce, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more Afully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the present invention; a

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the section line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral I0 represents an elongated rule composed of two flat transparent plastic strips I2 and I4 whose inner faces are provided with registering grooves I6 and I8. An indicia bearing strip 2D is mounted in the grooves I6 and I8 and the inner faces of the strips I2 and I4 are secured together by cement or the like to retain the strips I2 and I4 in superimposed relation.

One face of the strip 20 is provided with three correlated rows of indicia or numerals 22, 24 andV 26. The row of numerals 22 is designated, at each end, by the word tangents" and the rows of numerals 24 and 26 are designated, at each end, by the word degrees outer transparent walls 46.

The other face of the strip 20 is provided with six correlated rows of indicia or figures 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38. The row of figures 30 is designated by the words common rafter, the row of figures 32 is designated by the words octagon hip, and the row of figures 34 is designated by the words hip or valley.

A plastic slide 40 embraces the rule I0 and is laminated to include a pair of parallel side strips 42, a pair of rectangular strips 44 and a pair of The strips 42 are equal in thickness to the rule IU and include inner edges that ride against the side edges of the rule-I0.

The strips 44 are wider than the rule I0 and overhang the side edges of the rule and are secured by cement or the like to the strips 42. 'I-he outer walls 46 are equal in width to the strips 44 and are secured by cement or the like to the strips 44.

The inner faces of the walls 46 are provided with grooves or recess 48 that receive indicia bearing sheets `5I) and 50a having the instruction notations on their outer faces as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The slide 40 is provided ywith transverse registering openings 52 and 54.

Stops or abutments 5'6 are provided on the ends of the rule I0 and retain the slide on the rule. The stops are disposed sufficiently far from the first and last figures in the rows of figures to permit the openings 52 or 54 to register with the first and last numerals or figures in any row.

The side of the rule containing the rows of figures 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 is referred to as the rafter scale and is divided into 24 sections. The sections represent from 1 to 24 inch rise to a foot run. The first row of figures 28 indicate the rise and the rows 30, 32, and 34 represent in inches the lengths the common rafter, octagon hip and the common hip or valley. The fractional numbers in the row 35 designate the pitch or proportion of the rise of' the roof to that of the span, and the row of figures 38 is the decimal fractions to one-hundredth of an inch of the figures in row 36.

In practical use of the rafter scale to determine the cuts and lengths for a given pitch, the slide is moved until the opening 54 registers vwith the given pitch, for example, a M2 pitch on row 36, as shown in Figure 3. The figure 14 appears in the window opening 54 from row 28. The following information is then available: (a) the length for one foot runs is 18.44 inches; (b) by setting the tongue of a steel square on I2 and the blade on I4 the cut can be determined remembering that the tongue gives the seat out and the blade gives the plumb cut. The same information is available for octagon hip and hip or valley rafters in the same manner.

In practical use of the scale or rows 22, 24 and 26 for framing two pieces at a given angle, for example, an angle of 130 degrees as shown in Figure 1, the slide is moved until the opening 52 registers with the numeral 165 in row 26 since the mitre .will bisect vthe given angle, and the plumb cut will be one-half of 130 degrees or 65 degrees.-

The strip l2 divided by the tangent is then observed through the opening 52 on the row 2'2 as 5.6. This is the decimal equivalent of 5 and 7A2. Therefore 12 on the tongue on the steel square and 57/12 on the blade will determine the mitre' and the cut will be made on the blade.

If the degree of pitch is less than 45 degrees then the figures in row 24 are employed without taking one-half the degree of pitch. This procedure is `also followed if the degree of pitchis less than 90 degrees but greater than 45 and th row 26 is used.

Having described the invention, ywhat claimed as new is:

Y 1. A computing device for carpenters comprising an elongated rigid rule having nat rst and second. faces, 'two correlated rows of figures on the first face of said rule to indicate the cut required for framing two structural members at a predetermined angle, a slide considerably shorter than the rule, said slide embracingv the rule and.

including first and second walls in registry with the rst and second faces of said rule respective- 1y, one of said wallsA having an opening for selectively registering with one figure of each row, and stops at the ends of the rule, said slide being slidable on the rule between the stops. Y

2. Acomputing device for carpenters comprising an elongated rigid rule having flat first and second faces, at least twocorrelated rowsfof iighaving inner faces formed with registering chanures on the second face of said rule to Vindicate v the length of rafter for la given pitch, stops at the mentioned indicia bearing.

thereon, said indicia bearing strip being mounted in said grooves.

3. A computing device for carpenters comprising an elongated rule having flat first and second faces, two correlated rows of figures on the 4first face of said rule to indicate the cut required for framing two structural members at a predetermined angle, and a slide considerably shorter than the' rule, embracing the rule and including first and second walls in registry with the first and second faces of said rule respectively, one of said walls having an opening for selectively registering with one figure of each row, said slide including a laminated member including outer transparent laminations having inner grooved faces, and indicia bearing strips in the grooves in the inner faces of said transparent laminations, said slide also including a pair of registering internal grooves extending throughout its length and receiving the side edges of the rule.

4. A computing device-for carpenters comprising an elongated rigid rule composed of two juxtapositioned strips of transparent plastic material neled grooves and an indicia bearing strip secured in saidl grooves, stops at the ends of the rule,- and a laminated slide mounted on said rule for slid-v ing movement between said` stops, said slide in- 1 cluding a pair of spaced parallel strips contactingv the side edges of the ruleand being of a width equal to the thickness of .the rule, a pair of substantially rectangular strips extending across the rule and secured to said parallel strips, a transparent wall overlying one of said rectangular strips and being secured thereto, said transparent wall having an inner Aface with a recess therein, and another indiciabearing strip secured in said recess and coactingxwith the indicia on the rststrip.

FRANK W. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED u YThe following references are ofv record in the file df this patenti- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '778,790 Merrill -.---.n- Dec. 27, 1904 1,152,028 Knoblook Aug. 31, 19-15 1,166,675 -Grin i Jan. 4, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number I Country Date 602,802 Great Britain June 3, 1948 

